Nice for beginners - Super crowded with longboarders. Nice -little- wave. If you want epic go elsewhere. If you want to chill out and dodge beginners and watch them freak out when a 6ft set wave comes through this is the place. I had fun, but I'm at the tail end of being a beginner. Nice town too.

Por Anonymous
, 08-04-2008

No complaints - I just spent a month in Tamarindo and I have to say that I was very impressed. Sure, they're having issues with overdevelopment, but still years behind any beachfront or ski town in the US. It sounds like the locals are getting organized and seem to still have an opportunity to slow things down.

All of the local people I met were extremely friendly and helpful. I'm not sure what it was like a few years ago, but I only saw one low-key pot deal and no prostitutes. The police presence was noticeable and I felt comfortable walking around at all times.

I was in the water every day and I only had one incident where I noticed nasty water -- it actually burned my arms when paddling. Keep in mind this was 1 day in 30.

Based on the comments here I had really low expectations of my visit. I had completely the opposite experience. I surfed almost every break in near solitude -- just be reasonably smart about when you go out. Afternoons when the surf schools are in full swing are definitely to be avoided.

Por Anonymous
, 11-02-2008

It would appear there is still something in the water. - My wife, daughter, and I were just in Tamarindo Jan. 31st & Feb. 1st. My daughter and I waded across the northern tidal estuary to Playa Grande both days. My wife choice not to. We have now returned to Colorado. My wife is OK. My daughter & I both are still exhibiting some form of contact dermititis - splotchy rash, widely scattered in small spots about th size of a dime, that we attribute to wading across that tidal estuary: the rash is only on the lower parts of our bodies, up to about where the water was as we waded across. It would appear there is still something in the water. Nogui's still has the best coconut cream pie on the planet though!

Por Anonymous
, 05-01-2008

e coli - Any update on the pollution problem in tamarindo? I heard it was real bad in the Fall. How many got sick?

Por Anonymous
, 02-11-2007

Way to go gringos! - Looks like your slash and burn, unchecked development and greed have come around to bite you all in the arse!. Thanks for ruining it for everyone. Why don't you klucks go home and keep ruining your own homeland. Hope you enjoy your greed and profits. I hope karma gives you all a nice dose of Hep A to live with.

Por Anonymous
, 02-11-2007

Tamarindo/Playa Grande Sewage Warning - Serious Health Risk
In the meantime, he said his office ordered the Municipality of Santa Cruz to install signs along the beach, warning swimmers and surfers of potential illness from fecal contamination, which can include such menacing diseases as staph infections, typhoid fever, hepatitis A and others.

Last month, studies released by the National Water and Sewer Institute (AyA) found all 13 sites tested along the beach exhibited high levels of fecal contamination – a direct result, scientists believe, of runoff from the booming Guanacaste beachfront town (TT, Oct. 26).

According to the study, one oceanfront site contained 460,000 fecal coliforms per 100 milliliters (mL), another, a whopping 3.1 million.

By comparison, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards advise against swimming and bathing in waters with more than 400 fecal coliforms per 100 mL.

Read more: http://206.130.119.208/article.php?id=2

Por Anonymous
, 12-08-2007

like your reaction.... - jonathan- i like your reaction.... the gringos are so stupid, they pay for evrything! even if it not worth it,so why the pepole won't charge them???? i think tamarindo ia great place whit great waves. but you must keep it natur so you can keep wallking whit no shoes cause in the last yaers the Americanization influence so much on that city

Por Toro Toro
, 22-05-2007

What Planer is Yonkers From? - Yo. Yonkers is crazy. I used to live in NY and that place is crazy man. Yonkers has more drugs in him than Tamarindo fa sha. I caught a decent wave in Tamarindo once, easily overhead, and dodged like 80 people to ride the thing to the beach. Other than that, keep Yonkers out of Tamarindo. And the hamacas. Brazilians are nice. Italians are great. Ride your bike.